in Webster case, accused killer’s lawyer argues insanity defense

It is not disputed that William J. Goddard walked into Kelly Brackley’s workplace in Webster on a frigid January morning four years ago and gunned down his ex-girlfriend.

His lawyer, Michael P. Doolin, conceded as much in his opening statement to the jury yesterday in Mr. Goddard’s Worcester Superior Court trial on murder, assault and firearm charges arising from the Jan. 28, 2008, fatal shooting of the 30-year-old Ms. Brackley, a mother of five.

The question the jury will have to answer is whether Mr. Goddard was legally sane at the time, according to the defense lawyer.

“The issue that is before you is not whether Mr. Goddard tried to kill Kelly Brackley. The issue is why,” Mr. Doolin told the jury.

He said he expected the evidence to show that Mr. Goddard, 42, of 8 Vivian St., was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and a history of head injuries on the day in question, and lacked criminal responsibility for his actions.

Mr. Goddard’s mental state at the time rendered him incapable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his conduct or of conforming his behavior to the requirements of the law, according to Mr. Doolin.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas E. Landry made no mention of Mr. Goddard’s insanity defense in his opening statement, but did ask the jury to pay close attention to the evidence concerning the suspect’s behavior before, during and after the shooting at Action Crash Parts, an auto body parts distributor at 14 Railroad Ave. in Webster, where Ms. Brackley worked.

He described that evidence as relevant to the jury’s considerations.

Mr. Landry said he intended to introduce evidence showing that Ms. Brackley broke up with Mr. Goddard in the fall of 2007 and entered into a relationship with her boss, Yograj Shivdasani, who was also shot by Mr. Goddard.

The prosecutor said Mr. Goddard was unwilling to accept the breakup with Ms. Brackley and decided at some point that “if he couldn’t have Kelly Brackley, nobody would have Kelly Brackley.”

Mr. Landry told the jurors that a piece of paper listing Mr. Shivdasani’s name and address and a description of the vehicles he drove was found by police in Mr. Goddard’s apartment after an eight-hour manhunt that led to his arrest in Berlin.

Mr. Shivdasani, the first witness called to the stand by Mr. Landry, testified that he and Ms. Brackley began their relationship after his wife left him in October 2007 and Ms. Brackley and Mr. Goddard broke up.

He said he and Ms. Brackley were in the company’s office about 9 a.m. on the day of the shooting when Mr. Goddard walked in with Wade Langway, a temporary employee. Mr. Goddard had a gun trained on Mr. Langway’s face, according to Mr. Shivdasani.

Ms. Brackley, who was on the phone, stood up and asked, “Bill, what are you doing?” Mr. Shivdasani told the jury.

Mr. Goddard responded, “Kelly, shut up. Don’t move,” he said.

Holding the gun out in front of him and from a distance of three to four feet, Mr. Goddard shot Ms. Brackley in the neck, Mr. Shivdasani testified.

He said Mr. Goddard then turned the gun on him.

“I said, ‘No, no, no,’ ” Mr. Shivdasani recalled. He said he turned to his right to avoid being shot in the face and a bullet hit him in the back of his left arm.

“The bullet kind of knocked me off my chair. I laid on the ground and played dead,” Mr. Shivdasani testified.